Mobile Terminal and Icon Control Method for the Same

1. An icon control method for selecting an overlapped application icon without changing a coordinate position of the application icon on a mobile terminal, the method comprising: displaying at least two or more overlapping application icons on the mobile terminal screen; detecting a first input signal with respect to an application icon; determining whether the first input signal lasts for a preset time; determining, when the first input signal lasts for the preset time, whether the application icon is overlapped with at least one other application icon; changing, when the application icon is overlapped with at least one other application icon, an order of the application icon and at least one other application icon by positioning a second topmost application icon at a topmost position and a first topmost application icon at a bottommost position; continuing to rearrange the sequence of overlapping icons according to the duration of time for which contact is maintained; detecting a second input signal on an application icon at the topmost position; and executing, when the second input signal is detected, an application corresponding to the application icon at the topmost position.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second input signal is an input signal which does not last for the preset time.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the changing of the order of the overlapped application icon and at least one other application icon is repeated at each instance when it is determined that a duration of the first input signal increases by an additional period of time longer than or equal to the preset time.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the preset time is set by a user of the mobile terminal.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising displaying a description of an executable function regarding to the overlapped application icon at the topmost position.

6. A mobile terminal comprising: a display unit configured to display at least two or more overlapping application icons; an input unit configured to detect an input signal with respect to the overlapped application icons; and a control unit configured to determine whether a first input signal lasts for a preset time, to determine, when the first input signal lasts for the preset time, whether the overlapped application icon is overlapped with at least one other application icon, to change, when the overlapped application icon is overlapped with at least one other application icon, an order of the overlapped application icon and the at least one other application icon without changing a coordinate position of the application icon by positioning a second topmost application icon at a topmost position and a first topmost application icon at a bottommost position, to continue to rearrange the sequence of overlapping icons according to the duration of time for which contact is maintained, to detect a second input signal on an overlapped application icon at the topmost position, and to execute, when the second input signal is detected, an application corresponding to the overlapped application icon at the topmost position.

7. The mobile terminal of claim 6 , wherein the second input signal is an input signal which does not last for the preset time.

8. The mobile terminal of claim 6 , wherein the control unit is configured to change the order of the overlapped application icon and the at least one other application icon repeatedly at each instance when it is determined that a duration of the first input signal increases by an additional period of time longer than or equal to the preset time.

9. The mobile terminal of claim 6 , wherein the preset time is set by a user of the mobile terminal.

10. The mobile terminal of claim 6 , wherein the control unit is configured to control the display unit to display a description of an executable function with respect to the overlapped application icon at the topmost position.